


graduation plans

by sunnilee



Series: best laid plans [lay them to rest] [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: (and love to make him suffer), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Pre-Relationship, and i love him, bc sylvain is so so smart but so so dumb, blue lions - Freeform, catching feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:35:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24216760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnilee/pseuds/sunnilee
Summary: At Ingrid's insistence, Sylvain graduated 2 years ago ahead of his childhood best friends, promising to come back for their graduation. He was apprehensive about going to Garreg Mach University alone... but it actually turned out for the better.He was free to do whatever he wanted with significantly reduced nagging and-why is his heart fluttering?
Relationships: Ingrid Brandl Galatea & Sylvain Jose Gautier, Ingrid Brandl Galatea/Sylvain Jose Gautier
Series: best laid plans [lay them to rest] [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745746
Comments: 15
Kudos: 33





	graduation plans

Sylvain is cursing himself as he haphazardly smooths out his wrinkled shirt and mussed hair. Cursing himself _and_ the girl who was _way_ more handsy than he initially pegged her for.

Now he was late. Late to the high school graduation for all of his childhood friends. He bursts out of his car and runs into the venue, sending a quick apologetic smile to the chaperone at the door as he hurriedly takes a pamphlet from her. He wiggles his way through the crowd and situates himself at the front of the balcony.

“Dimitri Alexandre Bladiddyd!”

He breathes a huge sigh of relief, before letting out the most obnoxious “whoop!” he can muster. He feels several pairs of eyes flash to him, but disapproval and annoyance were no stranger feelings to him. He keeps his eyes pointed forward and waves vigorously when he sees Dimitri find him in the sea of people.

He grins widely, seeing his friend smile back with a slight shake of his head.

The procession drones on and Sylvain repeats his performance when Felix is called. He receives a less than impressed glare back.

A few more of his underclassmen get called and he claps, cheering appropriately. _Ashe… Annette… they just grow up so fast, huh?_

He checks the names and Ingrid is up next. He has a heated internal debate with himself about what he should call out, _if_ he should call out when she walks across the podium—her name gets called and he _whoops_ again on reflex.

To his surprise, her eyes find him immediately and she’s _laughing_. He watches her take her diploma and walk back to her seat, the smile still lingering on her face. Sylvain can feel his cheeks flush and the collar of his shirt suddenly feels more restricted. _When did it get so hot in here?_

He fidgets in his seat for maybe 20 more minutes, absently adjusting the sleeves of his shirt before he can’t take the stuffiness of the crowd around him. He weaves his way back out of the building and waits by the doors where he remembers the recent graduates would exit from. He leans on the wall and takes several slow, deep, breaths, squeezing his eyes shut. The tips of his fingers push against the grainy brick and he lets it dig into skin as he tries to sort himself out. _What was that back there? And why does he feel so guilty?_

The fresh bruise on his collarbone burns underneath his shirt, and he grimaces at the acid rising in his throat. _It was just a bit of fun, nothing new. A kiss here or there, maybe more, then leave._ Yet here he is, something close to disdain rolling in his stomach.

_He wants to shower._

Then, the doors swing open and the graduates are _free,_ and he doesn’t have any more time to think about it _._ Through the mass of blue robes and flying graduation caps, he spots Dimitri first, shiny blond head towering over the other students, a shorter blonde and a black-ponytail getting jostled around next to him. He makes his way toward his friends, massive grin on his face to hide the guilt that festers inside his chest. _Hopefully, they don’t notice_.

When he’s close enough, he catches Dimitri around the waist and hoists him into the air. “Well, well, well. Congratulations! My little babies are all grown up!”

He chuckles briefly how his younger friend flails before he’s set back down, surprise morphing into a bright smile when he turned to face him. “Sylvain! Good to see you, thank you for being here.”

“Of course! I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Dimitri. A chance to see my kids walk across a dingy stage in the most regal of robes? It’s almost too much for my fragile heart to bear.” He mock-wipes a tear away from his eye with his free hand and laughs when his arm is shoved away from his face by a disgruntled Felix. “Do you always make a habit of being an embarrassment to every event you go to?”

Hand to his chest, Sylvain scoffs, scandalized, “Me? I would _never_!”

Ingrid’s voice comes from behind Felix’s shoulder, exasperated already. “Oh, lighten up, Felix. It’s nice to hear cheers on a day like this, even as obnoxious as they are.”

Her gaze shifts to his and she smiles again. “I’m glad you could make it, Sylvain.”

Her hair is pinned up and _is that makeup on her face?_ Her graduation robe is unzipped, splaying open and contrasting against the white lace dress with pearl straps she’s wearing underneath. The setting sun casts a soft orange hue over her and Sylvain’s mouth dries. He blinks rapidly, as if it would change how Ingrid looked in front of him. _When did she get so pretty?_

There’s a lump in his throat and he realizes he’s been staring. Fumbling in mortification, his voice way higher than he intends it to. “Y-Yeah. I’m glad I could come too.” His thoughts turn dirty. Cheeks flaming, he stammers, “I-I mean, I promised, didn’t I?”

She gives him a strange look and Sylvain feels like melting into the ground. “Are you feeling okay? You look a little flushed.”

“What? No, I’m not!”

Ingrid gives him one last concerned look before spotting Annette in the distance. Her face brightens up and she excuses herself, running off to grab a picture with her study buddy, blue fluttering at her back. Sylvain stares after her until Felix elbows him in the ribs.

“Ow! Felix!”

“You’re disgusting.”

For a heart-stopping moment, Sylvain thinks Felix caught on, until he continues, “You reek of perfume. Were you late because you got caught up with a girl again?”

He even hears Dimitri sigh and he fights the familiar annoyance that settles at the base of his neck. “Sylvain… I thought we agreed you would stop this behavior.”

The bruise on his collarbone throbs and he ignores it. Shrugging casually, he forces an easy smile onto his face. “I don’t know, Dimitri. I thought the agreement was I would stop if you found yourself a girl… Unless you did while I was gone?”

He watches Dimitri blush until his ears were pink and he laughs, barely masking the sudden bitterness that overcomes his previous good mood. “Oh, Dimitri. You take even the silliest things so very seriously. But don’t worry! Once you’re at Garreg Mach, I’ll find you a pretty girl in no time.”

He watches his friend’s shoulders deflate, but the smile remained on his face. “If I do as you wish, will you truly promise to improve your behavior?”

Sylvain’s mind flits back to the way the pearls illuminated Ingrid’s shoulders and he swallows, hard. He swings an arm over Dimitri’s neck and beams. “Of course!”

He sees Felix shake his head at his predictability, but a smirk grows on the corner of his lips. In his peripheral vision, he sees Ingrid laugh again, the corner of her eyes crinkling in delight.

The perfume lingering on his shirt begins to nauseate him.

**Author's Note:**

> some more pre-relationship sylvgrid because i love them (and writing the long-suffering emotions that come with catching feelings). still a part of the same modern au as cotton & gauze, but years earlier.
> 
> in for a (disjointed) long haul, but they'll get there :).


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